TRANSCRIPT
"I was just on the phone with President Biden. He's just tested positive for COVID. He said to tell my folks that we're not gonna get rid of him that quickly. We're gonna have a chance to hear from him directly in the future. He's just really sorry he couldn't be with us."
That was Janet Murgula, President and CEO of Latino civil rights organisation UnidosUS, announcing that US President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19.
At a crucial moment for President Biden's re-election efforts, he's now been forced to pause all campaigning due to the illness.
He reportedly has mild symptoms including a runny nose and a cough and the White House says he's returning to his home state of Delaware where he will self-isolate.
In an interview released immediately before the announcement, Biden told Ed Gordon from BET News that he'd only reconsider running for a second presidential term if health issues were to emerge.
GORDON: "Is there anything that you would look to say, if I see that, I will reevaluate?”
BIDEN: “If I had some medical condition that emerged. If somebody, if the doctors came to me and said, you got this problem, that problem. But I made a serious mistake in the whole debate. And I think I've demonstrated that I know how to get things done for the country in spite of the fact that we were told we couldn’t get it done. But there's more to do, and I'm reluctant to walk away from that.”
This latest health scare couldn't have come at a worse time for the embattled president who is facing damning new polling and calls to drop out of the presidential race from a number of prominent Democrats.
Trump fans have also responded to Biden's COVID announcement, saying they believe it's a conspiracy to give Biden a graceful way out of the race.
FAN 1: "I think it's fake man. I think it's all conspiracy theories."
FAN 2: "He needs to come up with an excuse. Kind of like with the debate when he had 'a little cold' and he totally bombed. So now that his own party is going after him big time to get out of the race he needs to have this excuse about COVID. And this will be his 'medical condition' while he steps down."
Fears about a decline in the 81 year-old leader's cognitive abilities came into sharp relief following a disastrous performance during CNN's presidential debate last month.
"Making sure that we're able to make every single solitary person eligible for what I've been able to do with the COVID. Excuse me, with dealing with everything we have to do with- look- if we finally beat medicare."
A new poll from APNORC has found that seven in 10 adults and 65 per cent of Democrats say Biden should withdraw and allow his party to select a different nominee.
And now, Democratic congressman Adam Schiff has become the 20th congressional Democrat to call for Mr Biden to step aside.
In a statement to the LA Times, the key congressional power broker called on the president “to pass the torch” and “secure his legacy of leadership” by allowing another party member to run against Donald Trump.
US media outlet ABC News is also reporting that Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told President Biden on Saturday it would be better for the country and the Democratic Party if he ended his re-election campaign.
And their political rivals are capitalising on the president's weakness with Donald Trump's former White House physician, Representative Ronny Jackson of Texas, criticising Biden and his allies at the Republican National Convention.
“Let's not kid ourselves. Father Time has not been kind to Joe Biden. And we would not be in this situation were it not for Joe Biden's staff and his family. They should have compassion for him and prioritize his health and our country's security. But they have put their own interests above America's interest. Perhaps the greatest blame lies with his own vice president, Kamala Harris. She has not been truthful with us. She has lied to us. She has put party above country, and she is as unfit in character as Joe Biden is in body and mind.”
This latest development in Joe Biden's political crisis comes days after his rival Donald Trump survived a shocking assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania.
20 year-old shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks shot Trump in the ear while killing Trump supporter Corey Comperatore and critically wounding two others.
He was then shot dead by a Secret Service sniper.
Donald Trump's newly-anointed vice-presidential nominee JD Vance told the Republican National Convention that Trump's response to the shooting is the sign of a real leader.
"As soon as I knew he was okay, I felt relief and then I was like, I cannot believe an assassin tried to take down the president of the United States. I was mad about it. Was he mad and angry? He called for national unity, he called for calm, he showed leadership, my friends. That the media keeps on saying they want somebody to tone down the temperature. Well, Donald Trump got shot and he turned down the temperature. That's what a real leader does."
Speaking at an abortion access event in Michigan, Vice President Kamala Harris says the attack on Donald Trump was a heinous, horrible, and cowardly act and that political violence is never acceptable.
But she also says the US needs to embrace robust discussion about what is at stake in this election year including abortion access.
JD Vance says that abortion should be banned nationwide with no exceptions for cases of rape or incest; however he says there should be some leniency if the mother's life is in danger.
Kamala Harris says people need to understand what Mr Vance stands for as he could be second-in-line for the presidency behind an aging Trump.
"Understand this is a fellow who, in the United States Senate, participated in blocking protections for IVF. This is an individual who has said and made every indication that he is for a national abortion ban. And so, again, this is where the power is with the people. We have an election coming up."
While Joe Biden and his allies believe he is the only candidate that can defeat Trump and defend US democracy, he now has the tough challenge of convincing voters he has the stamina for another four years in the top job.
